AMD Radeon RX 560 XT vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy between these two AMD GPUs. The Radeon RX 560 XT wins both recorded head-to-head tests, taking the Geekbench OpenCL score 31387 against 27125 (a 15.7% advantage) and the Vulkan score 36879 against 31268 (a 17.9% advantage). Its average benchmark score of 34133 places it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX Vega M GH averages 29197, sitting in the 74th percentile.

The RX 560 XT is the pick for anyone who needs raw compute throughput in a desktop context. It offers higher FP32 performance, more texture units, and a wider memory bus. The RX Vega M GH, however, is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) designed for portable devices. Its lower 100 W TDP and compact nature make it suitable for systems where power and space are constrained, even if its compute scores trail the RX 560 XT by roughly 16% to 18%.

For users who prioritize raw benchmark numbers, the RX 560 XT is the superior choice. For those building a thin, power-efficient portable system, the RX Vega M GH's integration into the host processor is its key advantage, despite lower scores. The data shows no scenario where the RX Vega M GH outperforms the RX 560 XT in the recorded tests, so the decision hinges on form factor and power envelope rather than performance.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the GCN 4.0 architecture and are built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The RX 560 XT uses the Ellesmere chip, which belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation, while the RX Vega M GH uses Polaris 22, listed under the Vega (Vega M) generation. Despite the "Vega" branding on the latter, both are fundamentally GCN 4.0 parts.

The RX 560 XT packs 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The RX Vega M GH has 5,000 million transistors on a 208 mm² die, with a density of 24.0 million per mm². The RX 560 XT is therefore the larger and denser chip.

Compute resources differ significantly. The RX 560 XT carries 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX Vega M GH has fewer shading units (1536) and TMUs (96), but doubles the ROP count to 64. This explains the pixel rate difference: the RX Vega M GH achieves 76.16 GPixel/s versus 39.23 GPixel/s for the RX 560 XT, a near doubling.

Memory architecture is a major divergence. The RX 560 XT uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX Vega M GH uses 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus, but its effective memory speed is much lower (800 MHz, 1600 Mbps effective), capping bandwidth at 204.8 GB/s. The RX 560 XT thus has higher bandwidth, despite the HBM2's wider interface.

Clock speeds favor the RX 560 XT: base 1074 MHz versus 1063 MHz, boost 1226 MHz versus 1190 MHz. FP32 compute follows suit: 4.394 TFLOPS for the RX 560 XT versus 3.656 TFLOPS for the RX Vega M GH. FP16 performance is identical to FP32 on both (1:1 ratio), so no advantage exists there.

Power and form factor are stark contrasts. The RX 560 XT is a dual-slot card with a 150 W TDP, a single 6-pin power connector, and a suggested 450 W PSU. The RX Vega M GH is an integrated graphics processor with a 100 W TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU, using an IGP bus interface. The RX 560 XT measures 241 mm (9.5 inches) in length; the RX Vega M GH has no listed dimensions, as it is embedded in the host system.

API support is identical: DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3 on both. Display outputs differ: the RX 560 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RX Vega M GH's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 XT delivers 4.394 TFLOPS, which is 20.2% higher than the RX Vega M GH's 3.656 TFLOPS.

Q: Why does the RX Vega M GH have a higher pixel rate despite lower compute?

A: The RX Vega M GH has 64 ROPs versus 32 on the RX 560 XT, producing 76.16 GPixel/s compared to 39.23 GPixel/s. This is a 2x advantage in pixel throughput, even though its FP32 and texture rates are lower.

Q: What memory type does each GPU use?

A: The RX 560 XT uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX Vega M GH uses 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus but achieves only 204.8 GB/s due to lower effective memory clocks.

Q: Is the RX Vega M GH a discrete card?

A: No. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 100 W TDP, no power connectors, and an IGP bus interface, designed for portable devices. The RX 560 XT is a dual-slot discrete card with a 150 W TDP and a 6-pin connector.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare to nearby rivals?

A: The RX 560 XT (average 34133) sits within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon RX 480 (33997) and trails the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (34154) by 0.1%. The RX Vega M GH (average 29197) is exactly tied with the AMD FirePro W8000 (29211) and leads the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28874) by 1.1%.

Q: Which GPU has higher bandwidth?

A: The RX 560 XT has 224.0 GB/s, which is 9.4% higher than the RX Vega M GH's 204.8 GB/s, despite the latter's much wider 1024-bit bus.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 560 XT | AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Ellesmere | Polaris 22 |

| Generation | Polaris (RX 500) | Vega (Vega M) |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 5,000 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 208 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 24.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1074 MHz | 1063 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1226 MHz | 1190 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) | 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 1024 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 204.8 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 112 | 96 |

| ROPs | 32 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 39.23 GPixel/s | 76.16 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 137.3 GTexel/s | 114.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.394 TFLOPS | 3.656 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 4.394 TFLOPS (1:1) | 3.656 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 150 W | 100 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | IGP |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | Portable Device Dependent |

| Dimensions | 241 mm (9.5 inches) | Not listed |

| Release Date | 2019-03-12 | 2018-01-31 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data covers two Geekbench tests, and the RX 560 XT wins both. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 560 XT scores 31387 against the RX Vega M GH's 27125, a 15.7% advantage. This aligns with the FP32 difference: the RX 560 XT's 4.394 TFLOPS versus 3.656 TFLOPS gives it a 20.2% raw compute lead, which is partially offset by the Vega M GH's higher pixel throughput in real workloads.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap widens slightly. The RX 560 XT scores 36879, while the RX Vega M GH manages 31268, a 17.9% delta. The RX 560 XT's higher bandwidth (224.0 GB/s versus 204.8 GB/s) and greater texture rate (137.3 GTexel/s versus 114.2 GTexel/s) likely contribute to this margin, as Vulkan workloads often stress both memory and texture fetch.

The RX Vega M GH does claim one notable win in the specification sheet: pixel rate. Its 76.16 GPixel/s is nearly double the RX 560 XT's 39.23 GPixel/s. This suggests that in fill-rate-bound scenarios, the Vega M GH could outperform, but the recorded benchmarks do not capture such a test. The average scores reflect this: the RX 560 XT's 34133 average places it in the 79th percentile, while the RX Vega M GH's 29197 lands in the 74th percentile, a 16.9% overall gap.

Looking at rival positioning, the RX 560 XT's nearest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB, which averages 34154, a 0.1% lead over the RX 560 XT. The RX Vega M GH is essentially tied with the AMD FirePro W8000 (29211, 0% delta) and marginally ahead of the Intel Arc A370M (29175, 0.1% behind). The data shows that the RX 560 XT competes in a higher performance tier, while the RX Vega M GH sits closer to midrange mobile and older workstation parts.

In summary, the RX 560 XT dominates the RX Vega M GH in both recorded benchmark tests, with a 15.7% OpenCL win and a 17.9% Vulkan win. Its higher shading unit count, faster clocks, and greater memory bandwidth are the likely drivers. The RX Vega M GH's only clear advantage is pixel rate, which is not reflected in the benchmark outcomes, and its integrated form factor with a 50 W lower TDP.